Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’
Chapter 285: The Demons Are Worried Sick About the Couples Offspring

Southern Border, southern region.

On the sheer cliffs, a biting wind seemed to rise from the abyss below, carrying a faint trace of blood that sent chills down one's spine.

"May the Great Wind Deity bless us with favorable weather in the coming year."

A group of villagers, led by their priest, knelt and kowtowed before the temple perched on the cliff.

Inside the temple stood a bronze statue, four feet tall, with a human face and the body of a bird, its wings disproportionately large, as if a mere flutter could summon gales.

"Present the grand sacrificial offerings!"

A pair of children, a boy and a girl, carrying baskets of flowers, were pushed into the Temple of the Great Wind.

The light dimmed instantly, shrouding the statue in shadows.

Splat—

Vermilion splashed, its hue indistinguishable from the bloody glow descending from outside.

Han Zhen stepped into the temple, instinctively covering his nose as he frowned at the human-faced bird monster not far away.

"Haven’t I already taught you the method to refine Blood Pills?"

"The taste of flesh and blood is far better."

The human-faced bird crunched bones between its teeth, letting out a ghastly grin.

Han Zhen’s frown deepened. Once a revered totem of the Great Shang, now it reveled in raw, bloody feasts.

"The Jade Phoenix Deity has a master."

"Hmm?" The bird’s eyes gleamed, its feathers bristling with excitement as gusts of wind howled through the temple.

"Has the Grand Preceptor begun restoring the Divine Tree to awaken the True Phoenix?"

Yet Han Zhen’s next words froze its expression:

"It was claimed by a human."

The human-faced bird fell into contemplation.

"A human... capable of seizing the Jade Phoenix Deity?"

"Though she is human, she was born with a Phoenix physique..." Han Zhen narrowed his eyes.

"Even so, how could she defeat the likes of Zhiduo Luo and the other divine descendants?"

"Not defeat—slaughter."

Han Zhen fell silent after speaking.

After a long pause, he finally added:

"This arm of mine was severed by her. And she wasn’t alone..."

Han Zhen recounted the events within the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm.

Finally, his eyes burned with intensity as he said:

"She is also a disciple of the Qingyuan Sect. The path she walks now is undoubtedly one of gathering the forms of a hundred avian spirits."

"Given time, she may even condense the Phoenix Deity on her own. By then, the existence of beings like you..."

"Will be meaningless!"

The human-faced bird’s crimson pupils contracted.

"She must not leave the Southern Border with the Jade Phoenix Deity." With those words, the bird flapped its wings, transforming into a tempest as it soared into the sky.

......

Hanging Temple.

Within the aquatic realm of the Water Tribe, demon kings and great demons from various clans had gathered unprecedentedly, their enthusiasm palpable.

Recently, every clan had tasted the benefits of the Celestial Jade from beyond the heavens.

But gratitude was only part of it.

More importantly, this young pair of demons—one with the bloodline of a True Dragon, the other a True Phoenix, both wielding the Celestial Jade—held the potential to become the leaders of the Southern Border’s demonkind in the future.

At this moment, the demons crowded around Li Mo and Ying Bing.

Or more accurately, around the Heavenly Flood Dragon, Little Li. Ying Bing sat silently, sipping tea with an icy demeanor, her presence deterring any from approaching.

"This king will return and discipline his clan, strictly forbidding them from defiling the upper reaches of rivers and disrupting the aquatic tribes’ habitat."

"The Great Roc Clan will share the Golden Roc’s weather forecasts, providing accurate meteorological predictions for all!"

"As for our Purple Electric Eel Clan... well, we’ll try not to discharge electricity recklessly."

The demon kings were united in their fervor, their demonic hearts burning with zeal.

The Heavenly Flood Dragon, Little Li, nodded in satisfaction, feeling he ought to say a few words as well:

"Wherever rain is scarce, you may call upon the Roaring Flood Dragon Clan, and we shall summon downpours as needed."

"The Southern Border is our home. Its beauty depends on us all!"

At these words, the demons erupted into applause.

Truthfully, apart from calamity beasts, most demons of the Southern Border had little love for conflict.

Once they returned, the Southern Border might... become more peaceful?

Though many issues remained unresolved, this was a promising start.

"Won’t the Southern Guardian King award me a Civilization Prize for this?"

Little Li smirked.

This could be considered an investment, right?

Clearing his throat, Li Mo then asked earnestly:

"Does anyone else have suggestions or questions?"

"I do!"

Manbo raised his hand.

"Go ahead."

"I propose that the Peerless Heavenly Flood Dragon and the Azure Phoenix Goddess bear a noble heir soon!"

"Pfft—"

Li Mo choked on his tea, spraying it out in shock.

"Indeed, the bloodlines of the True Dragon and True Phoenix are formidable separately. But if they were to produce offspring..."

"Now that you mention it, the fact that they can jointly wield the Celestial Jade means even the Jade approves."

"Hiss... that makes sense!"

"Are they... even compatible?"

"If the Celestial Jade has no objections, who are you, a mere demon, to oppose?"

The demons exchanged glances, their eyes alight with wisdom and contemplation.

If the True Dragon and True Phoenix were already this powerful...

Wouldn’t their child surpass the heavens?

Li Mo: "..."

Little Li had never dreamed that before even being urged to marry, he’d be pressured to procreate.

And by a horde of demons, no less.

Glancing at the ice block beside him, he noticed the girl still sipping tea calmly—but her curled fingers betrayed her unease...

"So, everyone, are you leaving or not?"

The Heavenly Flood Dragon, Little Li, forcibly bid them farewell.

Yet as the demon kings departed, they continued chattering excitedly.

"Given time, with the True Dragon and True Phoenix united, even the Great Yu would be no match!"

"We demons must unite, grow stronger, and reclaim our glory!"

"What should we call the bloodline of the True Dragon and True Phoenix—Phoenix Dragon or Dragon Phoenix?"

Urging reproduction seemed to be a demonic tradition.

Perhaps because powerful demonic bloodlines made offspring rare?

Uncle Murong’s prestige continues to rise...

"Brother Li."

Before Li Mo could return to pack, Murong Xiao stopped him. The man now bore the marks of a monk’s tonsure, having officially joined the Hanging Temple.

"I’ll be leaving the Southern Border with the Hanging Temple."

"I hadn’t anticipated this either," Li Mo admitted sheepishly.

Originally, he’d thought Murong Xiao would remain in the Southern Border, closer to his parents. Who could have guessed the Hanging Temple would relocate?

"Wherever fate leads, there lies the Hanging Temple."

Li Mo chuckled. "You’ve barely chanted sutras, yet you’re already spouting monk proverbs."

Murong Xiao grinned awkwardly. "The master says the Hanging Temple drifts wherever the wind takes it. With luck, we might cross paths again."

Then his expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice:

"Brother Li, when you return to the Qingyuan Sect from the Southern Border, be cautious. Without the Abbot’s presence, who knows what chaos may arise here."

"Take this. My master gave it to me. No matter where or when, it can instantly return you to the temple."

He produced a string of prayer beads, pulsing with a spatial aura akin to a dimensional treasure, yet subtly different.

"Master Hengyuan gave this to you. Won’t you be punished for passing it to me?"

"I will, but it’s fine. My master can’t scold me anyway."

"..."

Li Mo studied Murong Xiao’s solemn face before finally accepting the beads.

"Who knows when we’ll meet again."

"Here’s a scripture I’ve never understood. Consider it my parting gift."

He drew a scroll from his sleeve.

"The Sutra of the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva · Volume One"